Edo lawmakers

By Osifo Ehigiator

THERE is a popular adage that ‘pride comes before a fall’. Pride, ego tripping and foolish loyalty to godfatherism is what has held down some Edo State lawmakers who had relocated to Abuja, their new abode since the crisis over the inauguration of Edo State House of Assembly started. It is now crystal clear that from the onset that the lawmakers do not give a hoot about their constituents who voted them into office to attract development to their areas.

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The Abuja-based rebellious members-elect seem to have been carried away by empty promises made to them to continue to hold on to their unlawful and meaningless ground that Obaseki must issue a fresh proclamation. It is embarrassing, especially in Edo State where political godfathers was fought, defeated and buried by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, only for godfatherism to resurrect in a form never seen in the political annals of the State.

No wonder, it was easier for lawmakers in the Bauchi State House of Assembly to easily resolve their differences without any much external forces manipulating them. The simple reason is because there is no godfather in Bauchi State. In the case of Bauchi, the crisis appeared even more complicated following the emergence of two factional speakers of both APC extraction after the inauguration of the members-elect at two separate locations. Abubakar Suleiman (Ningi, APC) was elected by 13 members with the Clerk presiding over the sitting inside the Assembly complex, while the factional speaker, Kawuwa Damina (Darazo, APC), was elected outside the Assembly complex by 17 members under the symbol of a mace without another member-elect presiding.

However, in order to permanently resolve the crisis, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, set up an investigative panel which came to Bauchi and held a three-day public hearing to unravel the issues as well as make recommendations. But days after the panel submitted its report, the factional speaker who is the immediate past speaker, Kawuwa Damina, led the remaining 16 members to take their oath of office and oath of allegiance.

The contending issue being raised was that the two houses were not properly inaugurated, and hence, the need to do the right thing for legislative business not to be affected. It must be added here, however, that the impasse in the Edo State House of Assembly has never affected the law making business for which the members were elected by their constituents.

While the crisis in Edo seems to be escalating by the day as a result of the fact that several political actors in the state are using the elected lawmakers who have refused to be inaugurated to undermine the governor and also to destabilise governance in the state, in Bauchi, where the members are from three political parties, the crisis has been resolved amicably.

The Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, who was also at the Assembly complex as an observer during the special session, described the inauguration of other members of the house as a victory for democracy and the people of the state. The governor commended Damina and his group for bowing to pressure to be sworn in, pointing out that the crisis in the Assembly has been resolved in the interest of the state.

But this is not the case in Edo State. Rather than listening to the voices of reason and join their colleagues who have already been inaugurated, the other lawmakers are now sheltered in Abuja by ‘powerful’ politicians whose intent and purpose is to cause confusion and distort governance in the state. These politicians who have their eyes fixed at stopping Obaseki’s second term ambition, are not only paying the bills of these ‘Abuja-based lawmakers, they have gone further to influence the National Assembly to take over the responsibility of the State House of Assembly.

The move by the National Assembly has not only been seen as an affront in the Constitution of the land, but a grave injustice to the people of the state as well as the sitting governor. It is to this end that the immediate past governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, warned the Senate against interfering in the Edo House of Assembly crisis. He had advised the Senate to steer clear of the crisis in the State Assembly and allow the APC settle it as a family affair.

Okorocha kicked against any form of interference because the Senate risks going beyond its jurisdiction on a decision which, he said, was best left for the APC to settle as an in-house affair. Okorocha said: “There’s no proof whatsoever that the Edo State House of Assembly is not functioning. We have had cases here or in the federal house where maces were taken away and no other National Assembly came from anywhere to take over activities. I think this matter should not go outside the Senate. Those of us in the caucus of the APC should resolve a family matter rather than make it a National Assembly issue. What’s happening here is a failure of leadership and it should be resolved.”

Elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, also sounded a similar warning against forceful take over of the Edo State assembly by the NASS. Worried about the stand of the Federal lawmakers, the former federal commissioner wrote a letter to the House of Representatives warning against the recommendations of the committees set up by the NASS on the Edo Assembly crisis.

The elder statesman argued that the Senate went against the Constitution in its resolution on the Edo House of Assembly, warning that interfering in the crisis might be an invitation to anarchy. Clark said he was not in agreement with the position of the Senate asking Governor Godwin Obaseki to issue a fresh proclamation to the House. Clark, who had earlier written a letter to the speaker of the House of the Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, after the green chamber’s resolution on the state Assembly, argued that section 101 of the Constitution allows every legislature to adopt its own house rules.

According to him, the situation in Edo has not reached a level where it can be taken over by the National Assembly. The elder statesman said despite his warning to the House of Representatives, it seemed to have recruited the Senate or that the upper chamber decided to compete with its decision.

“The Senate seems not aware of, or is too possessed of a mind-set that blinds it against the many provisions in the Constitution which supersedes the fact that the two components of the National Assembly working in tandem on the Edo State project. It is unconstitutional and wrong for the National Assembly to ‘order, direct’ the Edo State governor to issue a fresh proclamation. Section 3 places such activity squarely on the exclusive list.”

Obaseki’s contention, however, is that his initial proclamation stands and that he cannot issue a second. It is in this regard that the “Abuja-based Edo lawmakers” should not allow themselves to be used to play unholy politics by some politicians whose intent is to cause chaos in the state and make the “Wake and See” governor lose focus on governance.

They should listen to the voice of reason by toeing the same line that the Bauchi lawmakers have used to settle their differences. They must realise that they are among the several chosen to represent their constituency.

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